Hello, I have a 29 gallon tank and havent got any nitrate readings and only .25 ammonia readings since ive been checking. ive had it for a little under a week. I have been doin eveything it says to speed the cycle up(they dont have bio-spira here) leaving lights on long time, aerating with an air filter, feeding fish food, spread gravel from my 10, put sock with gravel in the filter...any ideas on why this is happening?

Thanks in advance

P.S. any guesses on how long till its safe for a few fish =)

herefishy

12-27-2007 01:04 PM

Patience, patience, patience, patience, patience. Well, I think you've gotten the message. The tank will let you know when the time is right. You may still see a big nitrate/ammonia push, where the readings go through the roof for no apparent reason. The water may also become cloudy with a bacteria die-off. Do not worry if these things happen. A cloudy condition could also be an algael bloom. Your readings form the test kit will allow you to tell what is happening. A tank, of any size can take from 2-12 weeks to cycle. It just really depends on mother nature. Untill then, patience, patience, patience.

Holly

12-27-2007 01:27 PM

I'm working on 5 weeks and ammonia is finally going down. The ammonia is at 3.0, Nitrites at 10ppm and nitrates are basically 0. I did everything it says to do. I used my old canister filer that never got dry, the same plants, used Cycle, BioSpira, the whole nine. Nothing I did can speed it up!! Patience is key

fish_4_all

12-27-2007 01:43 PM

Prime Example:
Established tank torn down, gravel kept in airated bucket, filter kept running in bucket, everything should have been primed for an extremely short cycle. 8 weeks later it finally finished. Tank only torn down for 48 hours.
Brand new tank, new filter, new gravel, everyhting was new, tank set up, brought to the right temperature and cycled in 10 days without any help from anything.

I wish I had the answers to what causes cycles to take 2 weeks or 12 weeks and why cycling products and other short cuts don't work for some where it does for others. I would have a best selling book in no time.

Cycling best friend is a good liquid regeant test kit, and a good barber to fix your hair after you pulled half of it out.